Pages

Sunday, 2 August 2015

How to Paint Your Own Mural at Home

Instead of displaying small pieces of your artwork around your home, why not take up an entire wall to show off your creative flair? The word ‘mural’ can be a little daunting, as if you are tasked with painting the Sistine Chapel, but all it means is that you get to use a section of a wall - or the entirety of it - to paint something that shows off your personality, style and creativity.

So, where do you start? Here’s a few tips to making your own mural:

Always sketch first
Unless you’re an artistic genius, it’s always a safe move to sketch out your idea so you know what you’d like to achieve. This can be a drawing on an A4 pad of paper to begin with, and then you can start to mark out where sections of the mural will begin and end, so you use the full space to bring your vision to reality. You can always change up the design as you go along, adding in more detail if needed.

Don’t overcrowd
Having such a large space to work with, it can be easy to fill every inch of it with artwork; don’t be afraid of a little blank space! If you are drawing a countryside scene, there doesn’t have to be a sea of trees in uniform, you can easily get away with a selection of strategically placed ones amid a wash of green grass and rolling hills. If your mural is too busy then it loses its impact and becomes part of the background, instead of a focal point and feature in your home.

What does it mean to you?
Like a tattoo or a framed piece of art, your mural must mean something to you. Is it a landscape scene of your favourite spot in the world? Is it a collection of your family’s favourite pastimes, or maybe a contemporary piece that shows off your artistic style? Whatever it is, there needs to be a story behind it. When people come to visit, they will be drawn to your mural and will want to know what it is and what it means to you. There’s also the option of emulating a piece of art that you love if you have nothing original in mind, such as one of these famous murals.

Go easy on yourself
With the minute detail of your mural needing a steady hand and a careful gaze, make the first part of this project easier for yourself with an air compressor spray gun (such as these). Creating your background colour can be done in minutes and you won’t be left with paint strokes, leaving an even canvas to begin your creation. Plus, you’ll feel pretty professional with a piece of kit that looks like it means business.

Be brave
Just because you didn’t do an art degree, doesn’t mean that you can’t successfully add to the decoration of your home with something you have envisioned yourself. No matter what it is, it’s sure to be a conversation-starter as it isn’t wallpaper or one shade of paint.

It could have political meaning like a Banksy; provoking thought and sending a message to all those who see it. Or your bravery may come in the form of putting paint brush to wall and daring to make a few mistakes. Either way, it’ll be something memorable.

5 quick tricks to keep in mind:

A flat, smooth surface is your best bet for location. If the wall has a rough texture or the wall curves then you will need to work this into your design at sketch stage.

Measure your space and the areas that will use different colours – this is the only way to ensure you have enough paint for each colour change.

Chalk is a good tool to sketch onto your background – it will give you a guide to paint over for finer details of your mural.

Use a clean, wet rag to blend transitions and make highlights between shades of paint.

A clear sealer should be used to overcoat the mural so that it keeps its colour; protecting it from grubby paws and accidental spillages.